September 9th, 2010: I am having some continuing difficulties with this altitude in La Paz, Bolivia (11,482.9396 feet)…or perhaps it is just that my lungs are simply failing me at my ole age. To counter my inability to fall asleep and my lack of breath going up the hills, I decided to go to a coca dealer in the streets yesterday who was sitting in front of two hug sacks and bought some plant ashes and a big bag of coca.
As I said in earlier posts…coca leaves are completely legal in Peru and Bolivia. It is medically known to numb the senses and staves off hunger and exhaustion, mitigating the effects of high altitude.
I just recently heard from a local that if you chew coca leaves, you don’t even need to brush your teeth (his grandfather didn’t brush and died at 80 something years old and didn’t have one cavity) - umm…I must say…I don’t believe him so I will continue my good hygiene practices. For the hard core coca users, they will stick some leaves on their forehead with spit to help them get them through a headache or a hellacious bus ride. This too, I have not yet tried...and don’t plan to in the near or…late future.
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